A new dawn for N.Ireland

I'm surprised there isn't a thread open on the new assembly in Stormont.

I didn't see any of the live pictures cause I was at work, but from what I saw on the evening news it seems like Paisley and McGuinness are wanting to make this work. I hope it does, because we need stability in this little country.

Any thoughts?

Originally posted by jimboman
I'm surprised there isn't a thread open on the new assembly in Stormont.

I posted a Political News item here, but no replies:

www.abovepolitics.com...

I didn't see that article, sorry.

I guess 'peace' isn't as exciting as people getting blown up or UFOs hovering over mountains.

Perhaps it isn't all that exciting for those who don't live in the UK, but I think this is certainly a historic period for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole.

We've come so far over the last few decades, and I think everyone has got to the point where we just want peace. Fighting is futile because neither side would back down, which would simply result is a far greater loss of innocent life.

From what I've seen, the people of Northern Ireland will only tolerate peace now. They've seen first hand the comparison between living through The Troubles and in a modern, peaceful province and - let's face it - you must be mad to want to reverse the progress that has been made. Although I don't live in Northern Ireland, I can only imagine that it feels like a liberation, a fresh and peaceful start which has to be built upon. This is a chance that many thought they'd never see, so we absolutely must make the most of it. It would be a travesty if we didn't.

My thoughts exactly.

I remember the days when you couldn't go into Belfast city-centre without getting searched at security barriers (kids as well) and the place died after 5pm. These days we have late-night opening most of the week and there is a great sense of freedom.

Also apparently this year we're going to get a greater influx of tourists than ever. A lot of them Americans. Well, there has to a downside to everything...

Hopefully we can put all the troubles behind us for good, and its about time as well. This has been in the making for years. Recently my school brough in the education officer for the Orange Order and Nigel Dodds to talk to us about their history and cultures. These two men where warmly welcomed to the school and some friendly debate followed. Before David Irvine died, he also visited my school talking about the land, but that was a year or two before i joined.

Over the past few weeks I have noticed that things are slowly getting better. I live just off the Cliftonville Road and have noticed people in Rangers shirts walking about and not getting a second look.

Hopefully this continues

Love it.

That sounds excellent speight89.

I always respected David Ervine for being one of the first to stand up and have the courage to say loud and clear the things that some really didn't want people saying (within his own 'side').

We all needed people like him to help bring 'the people' out from the entrenched sterile and static situation of the past along to accept a new compromise.
Ervine wasn't by any means alone but he was (on the loyalist/unionist side) a main figure for that in the recent efforts to reach a lasting peace.

It's just a tragedy & a real pity that it took him so long (and the violent history he personally had) to get to that point tho.
But I'm sorry he's no longer with us.

Credit to Dodds & the OO guys for beginning to reach out (I'm usually not much of a fan of Nigel Dodds or the OO) but this is an example of the practical actions needed to show these guys are sincere about making a better future.
So I can't knock them if they're doing that kind of thing
(thanks btw I didnt know they were).

I was pleased to see Martin McGuinness do similar when he was Minister for education and people like Brig Rogers making such an effort at Agriculture.

I've always been of the view that the vile crass sectarianism we've been blighted with can be tackled by the 2 main communities getting to know each other.
Understanding the other's POV is a part of that, even if we don't end up agreeing with it completely.
It's all about ridding the place of the ignorance and fear.

Hopefully we'll even end up, given enough time, liking each other a little better than we do
('mixed' relationships are a very much unsung part of life here but they do go on).